Victimizing Christians

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

Martin Bobgan

Psychological counseling theories and therapies have given Americans a new way of thinking and have turned our country into a therapeutic culture of the self—where the self and how it feels about itself are at the center of meaning. People from coast to coast have embraced a psychological mindset that puts emotional deprivation and woundedness as the root cause of nearly every personal and social problem. This mindset has the potential to make everyone into a victim needing the services of the ever-expanding mental-health system. Fifteen years ago Charles Sykes wrote a book titled A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character, in which he says:

The ethos of victimization has an endless capacity not only for exculpating one’s self from blame, washing away responsibility in a torrent of explanation—racism, sexism, rotten parents, addiction, and illness—but also for projecting guilt onto others.1

Sykes also says, “The impulse to flee from personal responsibility and blame others seems far more deeply embedded within the American culture.”2 In fact, he declares, “The National Anthem has become The Whine,” and explains, “Increasingly, Americans act as if they had received a lifelong indemnification from misfortune and a contractual release from personal responsibility.”3

Psychological Mindset

The psychological mindset evolved out of the fairly recent development of clinical psychology (including psychotherapy, counseling psychology, and marriage and family counseling), which was birthed in colleges and universities around 1950 and expanded through politics and money.4 Since that time, it has exploded to the extent that Dr. Ellen Herman describes psychology’s popularity and impact on the Western world this way in her book titled The Romance of American Psychology:

Psychological insight is the creed of our time. In the name of enlightenment, experts promise help and faith, knowledge and comfort. They devise confident formulas for happy living and ambitious plans for dissolving the knots of conflict. Psychology, according to its boosters, possesses worthwhile answers to our most difficult personal questions and practical solutions for our most intractable social problems

Herman also says:

In the late twentieth-century United States, we are likely to believe what psychological experts tell us. They speak with authority to a vast audience and have become familiar figures in most communities, in the media, and in virtually every corner of popular culture. Their advice is a big business.6

The kind of psychology that carries this power to turn people into victims is psychotherapy with its underlying psychologies, such as Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious and Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, along with an estimated 500 different counseling systems and their theories. After all, who has a perfect life, certainly none of the theorists, all of whom developed their systems out of their own personal lives and creative imagination?7

In her book Manufacturing Victims: What the Psychology Industry Is Doing to People, Dr. Tana Dineen reveals what the so-called caring profession has become. She begins her book with the following words and the rest of her book proves her point:

Psychology presents itself as a concerned and caring profession working for the good of its clients. But behind the benevolent facade is a voracious, self-serving industry that proffers “facts” which are often unfounded, provides “therapy” which can be damaging, and exerts influence, which is having devastating effects on the social fabric.8

Dineen also says:

It is not news to say that psychology has become an influential cultural force or that society is becoming more and more filled with people who consider themselves victims who are psychologically needy in one way or another.

What is news is that psychology is manufacturing most of these victims; that it is doing this with motives based on power and profit (emphasis hers).9

While, indeed, there are real victims, the psychotherapeutic mindset has trivialized the horrors that some people have experienced by so expanding the meaning that now everyone qualifies if they want to. The role of victim can actually be quite enticing. Besides qualifying for sympathy from friends, engaging in endless psychological therapy centered on self, and gaining exoneration from responsibility and guilt, being a victim provides a new identity of being the hero or heroine in one’s own drama of overcoming horrendous obstacles in the grand quest for psychological healing. Rather than having to face the ugly fact of their own sin without excuse or reason or blame-shifting, they choose to be victims. Dr. Carol Tavris and Dr. Elliot Aronson describe the usefulness of victimhood that comes from recovered memory therapy in their book titled Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. They say:

Why would people claim to remember that they had suffered harrowing experiences if they hadn’t, especially when that belief causes rifts with families or friends? By distorting their memories, these people can “get what they want by revising what they had,” and what they want is to turn their present lives, no matter how bleak or mundane, into a dazzling victory over adversity. Memories of abuse also help them resolve the dissonance between “I am a smart, capable person” and “My life sure is a mess right now” with an explanation that makes them feel good and removes responsibility: “It’s not my fault my life is a mess. Look at the horrible things they did to me.”10

Psychological Mindset Christianized?

Yes, we are surrounded by a nation of victims with a therapeutic mindset, but wait—we are Christians! How does this affect those of us who have been given new life through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross? What does this have to do with the Gospel and with living the Christian life? Plenty!

Almost as soon as the romance of psychology took hold of Americans, it was embraced by Christians who believed psychological counseling theories and therapies would be useful for helping Christians. These psychological counseling ideas were brought into pastoral counseling classes in numerous seminaries. Next came the “Christian psychologists” who devised a plan to integrate counseling psychologies theories and therapies with Christianity, both for counseling believers and for instructing the saints about how to live the Christian life. And now, what is the advice people hear when they are struggling with emotional distress and problems of living? “You need counseling.” And, what they mean is professional counseling, psychotherapy and its underlying theories of the self. Why? Because they believe a lie that, in essence, says that the cross of Christ, the Word of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of believers are not enough for people with emotional or relational problems of living and that Christians need what only psychological theories and therapies can do. This is because of what Sykes calls:

The triumph of the therapeutic mentality … which insisted upon seeing the immemorial questions of human life as problems that required solutions. The therapeutic culture provided both in abundance: The therapists transformed age-old human dilemmas into psychological problems and claimed that they (and they alone) had the treatment.11

This lie about the Word of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of the saints not being sufficient for dealing with so-called psychological problems of living is promoted by numerous leaders and believed throughout the church. One of them is Dr. Bruce Narramore, Distinguished Professor at Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University, who says: “I think the critics [of psychology] need to ask, ‘Why are people so interested in psychology?’ The thought is that we ought to go back to the old way. But the old way wasn’t working.”12 Narramore says this without proof or evidence and thereby implies that for nearly 2000 years God failed to supply His children with the means of dealing with problems of living.

The integration of the theories and therapies of counseling psychology has succeeded in turning the body of Christ into a bunch of victims. If this were a book title, the subtitle could be “The Demise of Biblical Ministry.” In its eager embrace of this kind of psychology, the church has left its first love and fallen for the wisdom of man and “philosophy and vain deceit” (1 Cor. 2; Col. 2:8). That this kind of psychology is now regular fare in churches across America can be seen in the observation of Dr. Frank Furedi in his book Therapy Culture, in which he says: “A study of ‘seeker churches’ in the US argues that their ability to attract new recruits is based on their ability to tap into the therapeutic understanding of Americans.”13 He sees this as a preoccupation with the self, and, indeed, that is what it is all about—self!

All About Self

The focus of psychological therapy is on self and its problems from the perspective that the self is essentially good, but wounded emotionally by circumstances and other people. Therefore more and more Christians are seeing themselves as innocent victims with their “mistakes” and problems of living being due to other people and circumstances beyond their control. Worse yet, some, who have been convinced that the source of their problems is what happened to them as young children, spend months and years in therapy and/or in so-called inner healing. Some are trying to gain insight by remembering real events and some are searching for supposedly forgotten memories of abuse and neglect. Others are encouraged to see a figure of Jesus add something to the memory to heal or change it, but, since this is all in their imagination, they end up with a false Jesus. The idea in all of this kind of counseling and inner healing is that self has been harmed in some way and must be helped and healed.

Psychotherapy thus attempts to fix the self so that its so-called essential goodness can be experienced and expressed. The psychological mindset sees the problem as on the outside. The solution is found within the self, albeit with the help of those who have special psychological knowledge. Self is central and must be nurtured with self-love, self-esteem, and self-worth, all of which are supposed to lead to self-fulfillment, but which generally increase self-absorption, self-centeredness, and self-indulgence.

In contrast, the Word of God presents the truth about mankind, that we are sinners by nature and therefore not essentially good in ourselves. Romans 3:10 says: “There is none righteous, no not one” and verse 23 says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The problem of sin comes from within and the solution comes from outside ourselves, from God Himself through the cross of Christ, who bore our sin, and purchased our new life, which is received by grace through faith and lived by grace through faith.

Victim or Sinner?

One of the main goals of much counseling psychology is to relieve guilt so that individuals can feel better about themselves and thereby supposedly handle their lives more effectively. Helping an individual see himself as needy, emotionally wounded, and having been harmed or disappointed by others is one convenient way to sidestep personal responsibility, sin, and guilt. This is the opposite of the Bible, which provides the true remedy for sin and the only remedy for the human condition through Jesus Christ and all He accomplished to rid one of sin and guilt.

The whole of Scripture points to the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. Its focal point is Jesus Christ satisfying God’s wrath against sin and procuring forgiveness and new life for believers. Christianity is all about living the new life and reckoning oneself dead to the old life. Christianity is not about focusing on problems and on other people’s sins and shortcomings, and it is not about dredging up the past to fix the present. The Christian life is about confessing one’s own sin, walking according to the new life in Christ, and “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” towards the goal of the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13,14).

The early church had the one remedy for everyone’s present problems and past circumstances: the cross of Christ! The magnitude of each person’s sin against God from the cradle to the grave is more than anyone could bear to imagine, but Jesus took it all upon Himself so that he could give every believer new life. He, who knew no sin, died in the place of those who were by nature sin. He did not just come to fix the flesh (the old nature). He came to put it on the cross so that believers, by identifying with Him, could reckon themselves dead to the old and alive to the new.

Everyone has been adversely affected by the sins of others to some degree, but the adverse effects or the sinful tendencies from parents or sinful ways learned from them reside in the flesh (old nature). Our flesh is therefore the problem, not something outside ourselves, either past or present. Therefore, the Bible does not teach people to nurture their so-called “inner child” or to develop self-esteem or to probe their early childhood years to look for ways that adults failed them in any way. The Bible does not advise anyone to remember and re-experience past pain, disappointments, or even abuse for the sake of personal or spiritual growth. The Bible does not suggest that people must be healed emotionally before they can believe God or before they can grow spiritually.

Considering the grievous circumstances and the childhoods of many of the Gentile Christians, the early church had plenty of potential “victims” (many born and raised in slavery with the accompanying sexual and physical abuse and being treated as less than human). But, did the church treat them as victims needing to heal their emotional wounds or to remember the pain of the past in order to know God and to grow spiritually? No! The Bible does not portray mankind as victims, but as sinners. Jesus died for sinners, not victims!

The Way of the Cross

The way of the cross is a totally different way of dealing with serious life issues and problems of living. Rather than trying to remember the past and somehow rework painful memories through therapy or so-called inner healing, Christians need to reckon themselves dead to the past by identifying with Christ’s death and to live according to their new life in Christ. Everything needs to be taken to the cross instead of relived and talked about. Nevertheless, many of the people who promote this senseless return to the past agree that Christ died for our sins, but insist that many Christians still need healing from the past. However, digging up old memories for the purpose of changing one’s present life is counterproductive to the cross and in effect denies the finished work of Christ.

Jesus said, “It is finished.” So we say to fellow Christians: Identify with those words when you bring sin to the cross, your own sin and the sins committed against you. Recognize that Jesus suffered the pain and eternal consequence of those sins. He felt the pain and agony of every sin you have committed and the pain of every sin committed against you. He took it all and said, “It is finished.” If a memory with its pain comes back, treat it as a temptation from the enemy, who wants to rob you of the truth of what Christ did and to undermine your identification with Him, both in His death and resurrection. Satan always works to keep Christians struggling in the flesh, because that is where they are the most vulnerable and because he hates the life of Christ in every believer. He is most pleased when Christians walk according to the flesh or their old nature. Therefore, the devil is pleased with all forms of psychological therapy and related forms of inner healing, including Theophostic Prayer Ministry.14

Think Biblically, Not Psychologically

Christians need to think biblically when they read books about how to live and deal with problems of living. They need to guard their thinking when watching or listening to believers or unbelievers talking about how to deal with the issues of life and about what it is to be a Christian. They need to be alert to such expressions as: felt needs, rejection, broken lives, repression, denial, defense mechanisms, inferiority complex, sublimation, projection, transference, maladjustment, low self-esteem, the unconscious, hidden reservoirs, hidden memories, emotional wounds, emotional healing, codependence, addiction, compulsion, trauma, stress, identity crisis. Every behavior imaginable has the possibility of a psychological maldescription.

Utilizing psychological therapies or inner healing blinds Christians to the glory of the cross and the great love that was poured out for them. Those who are willing to face their own depravity and the sins they continue to commit after they have received new life and who honestly look at what Jesus bore in their place have a greater realization of God’s love. Jesus said, “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47). Thus, by seeing the magnitude of what Christ forgave them, believers know His love, and by knowing and receiving His love, are enabled to love Him back and His love in them flows out to others. The cross is the answer to all the pain of the past, and Jesus is the answer for every present problem of living. Here is the victory won by Christ and worked into the fabric of believers’ lives as they reckon themselves dead to their old life and alive unto Him. No wonder the enemy of our souls has invented such an enticing trap into victimhood!

Believers do not transform their lives through looking at the sins of others or by revisiting the past, but by confessing their own sin and believing that Jesus took it all. Believers need to leave their own sin and the sins committed against them on the cross and not try to remember, reconstruct, fix or transform the so-called inner child, which is actually the old nature or flesh. They are to live by the new life Jesus has procured for them, the new life that stretches forward into eternity. Colossians 2:6-10 says:

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

The Word of God continually calls believers back to their source of new life, back to faith in Christ and all he accomplished for living the new life. Believers are not called to be victims of their present circumstances or their past or of a powerful motivating unconscious supposedly formed during early life. They are to be walking by faith, growing in faith, and “abounding therein with thanksgiving.” That does not sound like the whine of the victims.

Furthermore, Paul warns believers not to be robbed of what they have in Christ through “philosophy and vain deceit” that turns them into victims. Psychological counseling theories are not science. They more aptly fall into Paul’s category of “philosophy and vain deceit.” Indeed, they resemble religion more than science. Dr. Thomas Szasz states the case very clearly in his book The Myth of Psychotherapy: “Herein lies one of the supreme ironies of modem psychotherapy: it is not merely a religion that pretends to be a science, it is actually a fake religion that seeks to destroy true religion.Ó15 Psychological counseling theories are collections of human opinions arranged in theoretical frameworks. They are human inventions based on the perception and personal experiences of the theorists themselves. They are “profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith”(1 Tim. 6:20-21).

Even when Paul was beaten and left for dead, he did not see himself as a victim, but as a recipient of the very life of Christ by grace through faith. Therefore he declared: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Rather than victims forever seeking to be healed of emotional wounds, Christians are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), fully equipped for challenges, trials, disappointments, dangers, and all sorts of calamities. Christ has won the victory and “ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”

Victimization shifts the attention away from one’s own responsibility for what is thought, said, and done. Victimization shifts attention away from one’s own sin and onto the sins of others committed against them. Victimization diverts believers away from the cross of Christ. Victimization robs them of gratitude for God’s unspeakable gift and thereby robs them of a close walk with Him. Turning Christians into victims weakens their faith and stunts spiritual growth. Every choice to walk according to the Spirit by grace through faith brings spiritual maturity. The choice is up to every believer, whether to be a psychologically defined and created victim or to be a biblically defined sinner saved by grace and growing into the likeness of Christ.

(PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter, May-June 2008, Vol. 16, No. 3)

“Just read your article on victims (PsychoHeresy )…

I used to feel like everything that I went through was not my fault. I was angry at God. My mom had mental illness, I was raped by 3 men, abused in my first marriage, boyfriend killed in accident, and blah blah blah. But one day that outlook changed. What was it? I took responsibility. I put myself in bad situations. I made poor choices that led me to those circumstances. I ignored God’s voice. I…I..I….I was the reason. Not God. Once I realized that, God was able to come in and take care of business. My relationship with God was mended. God was merciful and he blessed me beyond what I deserve. He is in control. Not me. Being the victim puts you in the driving seat—I was driving around in circles. That’s all being a victim does. Gets u nowhere in a hurry. I want God to be my driver. I don’t want the control. Let Him take me where He will.

But there are sooo many people who can make anything an act of victimization! They twist innocent words or events to make themselves the victim. It’s toxic for the soul. It eats away at the victim and seeps into those around them. It’s all about the rush. The attention. People can be quick to feed these lions with the food they seek. Dangerous.” anonymous

Endnotes
1 Charles J. Sykes. A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character. New York: St. MartinÕs Press, 1992, p. 11.

2 Ibid., pp. 14,15.

3 Ibid., p. 15.

4 Rogers H. Wright and Nicholas A. Cummings, eds. The Practice of Psychology: The Battle for Professionalism. Phoenix, AZ: Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, Inc., 2001.

5 Ellen Herman. The Romance of American Psychology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1195, 1996, p. 1.

6 Ibid.

7 Harvey Mindess. Makers of Psychology: The Personal Factor. New York: Insight Books, 1988; Linda Riebel, ÒTheory as Self-Portrait and the Ideal of Objectivity,Ó Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Spring 1982.

8 Tana Dineen. Manufacturing Victims: What the Psychology Industry is Doing to People. Montreal, QB: Robert Davies Multimedia Publishing, 1996, 1998, 2000, p. 15.

9 Ibid., pp. 17,18.

10 Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2007, p. 94.

11 Sykes, op. cit., p. 34.

12 Bruce Narramore, Christianity Today, May 17, 1993, p. 26.

13 Frank Furedi. Therapy Culture: Cultivating Vulnerability in an Uncertain Age. New York: Routledge, 2004, p. 18.

14 See Martin and Deidre Bobgan. Theophostic Counseling: Divine Revelation? Or PsychoHeresy? Santa Barbara, CA: EastGate Publishers, 1999.

15 Thomas Szasz. The Myth of Psychotherapy. Garden City: Anchor/Doubleday Press, 1978, p. 28.

PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministry (highly recommended free newsletter that is eye-opening. To get on list, call 800-216-4696)

Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.

Psycho Feedback: The Delusional World of Psychobabble

The Babble of the Psychos “Beware lest any man spoil (ruin, deceive) you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Colossians 2:8-10 “If I were the Devil … I would substitute psychology for religion.” Paul Harvey, If I Were the Devil You don’t need some stupid program. Psychobabble band aid. $cam. You need the Savior and you connect with […]

The Heart of the Human Problem is the Problem of the Human Heart

video – around 2:13 remove coughing Someone has truthfully stated, wisely observed: “‘Follow your heart’ has ended more marriages, destroyed more homes and children, caused more sin and addictions, mutilated more bodies, destroy more souls, and ended more lives than Satan imagined. It’s one of hell’s most effective slogans – straight from the serpent himself – who altered God’s words in the Garden, and still does 1 Corinthians 10:13a). Don’t follow your heart, follow the ONE Who created it!” Sin: Man’s Core Problem [podcast] https://safeguardyoursoul.com/sin-mans-core-problem/ ***SAINTS, WE HAVE NO FOUNDATION WITHOUT THIS FOUNDATIONAL BIBLICAL TRUTH New Age Satanic Belief that […]

Articles

“A Flattering Mouth Worketh Ruin”

Using Deceit to Ensnare and Inflict Evil

“A Flattering Mouth Worketh Ruin” Proverbs 26:28

The “ruin” wrought by way of flattery is incalculable.

“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Proverbs 20:19

Firstly, realize that the LORD is warning us here about talebearers or those who carry or bear about tales. Then we learn that the “talebearer revealeth secrets” or dispenses to others “secrets” not fitting to be shared with anyone else other those necessary, that is, those who already know those things. Because of how the enemy of souls uses talebearers, we are then warned to “meddle not” with such persons who are characterized by their cunning ability to flatter their way into our lives, making us feel comfortable with them so that in a vulnerable moment, we reveals “secrets” to them about something in our past that they really had no business knowing. Beware saints. There are those who operate this way. They sliver into your life by flattering you, telling you how wonderful you are and how well they like the way you minister. Then, they insidiously siphon out secret information from you, saving it in memory for just the right time to use against you.

You are not accountable for divulging past sins to anyone. When you repented and confessed that sin before God, He forgave you and remove those sins “as far as the east is from the west (infinity).”(Isaiah 44:22) The LORD has “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. ¹⁹He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19

Your sin was against God and God alone who alone is “Holy, holy, holy.” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).

“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” Psalms 51:4

“Sheep in the Midst of Wolves”

WHEN to depart: “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” (Proverbs 14:7)

A believer armed with these truths will be far less susceptible to the while of the wicked wolves who lurk in our very midst.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16

The innocent seem to be the most vulnerable because they imagine in their hearts that others are as they are, innocent.Be on guard and walk prayerfully, according to the Word, and in the Spirit and the LORD will deliver you from “the snare of the fowler” or hunter (Psalms 17:4).

“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” Psalms 91:3

Beware of those who seek to manipulate you to divulge information about your past, even in so-called counseling sessions, most of which are not holy or biblical anyway. Jesus told us to not give out pearls to swine. In principle perhaps that refers to giving anything to swine who will use them against you in the future.

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:6

Proverbs 26:28 says: “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.”

Hunters are very clever at capturing their prey. Deceivers are clever and use clandestine methods to beguile their intended prey. The intended victim must be enticed or lured in using some type of bait or false affirmation/flattery. Concerning wolves who prey on Christ’s precious sheep, the Bible uses the imagery of a hunter who sets a trap for his prey. It speaks of those who “lie in wait to deceive.”(Ephesians 4:14)

“A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.” Proverbs 29:5

It’s obvious that there is a hidden motive in that one who would flatter. Holy Scripture would instruct us to know that some people, while speaking smoothly, have war or evil in their hearts. They hide their hatred and wicked agenda behind a flattering tongue and a smile.

“The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” Psalms 55:21

In order to spiritually know when someone is deceitfully flattering, the disciple should ask the LORD for keener discernment and the “discerning of spirits” which is one of the nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10). One of the reasons that we need this gift of the Holy Spirit, is because some who flatter to snare actually seem to be men or women of God. Some of these guys actually preach some good stuff, have a website, call themselves “pastor” to gain clout, and are devil-possessed. Beware and stay in prayer.

People who have self-appointed themselves as representatives of Christ and Christianity are no knew thing. Wolves amidst the sheep of the LORD is no new reality. Even in eternity past, Lucifer (the light bearer) beguiled and misled a third of the LORD’s angels. We then see him slivering into the Garden of creation as a cunning snake who with flattery, lies, and deceit, caused the first sin among men and the fall of mankind (Genesis 3).

“The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.” Hosea 9:8

False shepherds and false prophets have always dwelled among God’s people (Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Matthew 23, etc.).

Do you want to get deeper into God’s Word? If so, send a reply requesting the “Moments with My Master” email that is sent out to edify Christ’s body.

Let’s Grow Together! Sign up here to begin receiving the Moments with Our Master email devotional that is sure to help you grow in His grace and in the knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:2; 3:18). It’s sent out for the edification of the body of Christ. Sign Up HERE.

The Kisses of an Enemy are Deceitful [podcast]

Even false teachers are to be rebuked “sharply” in order that they might be blessed to repent and “that they may be sound in the faith.” “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” Titus 1:13 Rebuke is always for the purpose of restoration – to prevent eternal condemnation! If we examine and judge ourselves, submitting afresh to the LORD daily in repentance, He will not be forced to send a Nathan in our lives with an open rebuke (1 Corinthians 11:31-32; 2 Corinthians 13:5). See 2 Samuel 11-12. | The God […]

Deceived. Deluded. Damned. WHY People Believe Lies [podcast]

“But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 The reason a person is walking in darkness is because their heart is not right with God – they are in rebellion and are going to bust hell wide open if they don’t repent (John 3:19-21; 2 […]

Articles

PURGATORY: CATHOLIC FRAUD [podcast]

Purgatory is never once mentioned in God’s Word and is a blatant and antichrist denial of the efficacy of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

“One of the scandalous practices of the Catholic church was the sale of “indulgences” to raise money. Indulgences allowed Catholics to buy forgiveness for their sins with cold, hard cash. Most remember that indulgences were one of the primary reasons Martin Luther made the cataclysmic decision to leave the Catholic church and start the “Protestant” movement. However, few realize that indulgences were used by the Catholic church as a primary source of revenue for over a thousand years, and that the practice did not end as a result of Luther’s protests:

“The cost of running the church’s kingdom while maintaining the profligate lifestyle of one of Europe’s grandest courts pressured the Vatican always to look for ways to bring in more money. Taxes and fees levied on the Papal States paid most of the empire’s basic expenses. The sales of produce from its agriculturally rich northern land as well as rents collected from its properties throughout Europe brought in extra cash. But over time that was not enough to fuel the lavish lifestyles of the Pope and his top clerics. The church found the money it needed in the selling of so-called indulgences, a sixth-century invention whereby the faithful paid for a piece of paper that promised that God would forgo any earthly punishment for the buyer’s sins. The early church’s penances were often severe, including flogging, imprisonment, or even death. Although some indulgences were free, the best ones — promising the most redemption for the gravest sins — were expensive. The Vatican set prices according to the severity of the sin and they were initially available only to those who made a pilgrimage to Rome.” Delancyplace.com

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28

Notice that after a person dies, “after this the judgment” and not purgatory!

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God died for, paid the full and complete price for all sin one time on the cross and anyone believing in purgatory spits in the face of a holy God, openly claiming that the sacrifice of Christ was not enough. Such openly deny Christ and are antichrists.

—— CATHOLIC PURGATORIAL FAIRY TALE SCAM ….. ABSOLUTE BLASPHEMY AND OPEN DENIAL OF THE EFFICACY OF THE VERY BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. PURE GIMMICK – $–PAY YOUR DEAD RELATIVE OUT OF PURGATORY? The Catholic indulgence system is completely diabolical and antichrist. This system teaches that living relatives can $ pay $ their dead relatives out of purgatory (no such thing) by giving monies to the Catholic church. This system wasn’t even initiated until the twelfth century by the then pope in order to raise money for the financially hurting Roman Catholic church. This delusional lie, myth, and exploitation is antichrist in that it brazenly denies the efficacy and power of the blood of Jesus shed once, and good for all time (John 19:30; Hebrews 10:12).

***IN THE MIDDLE AGES, A CERTAIN POPE AT THAT TIME INVENTED THE TEACHING OF PURGATORY TO RAISE $MONEY$ FOR THE FINANCIALLY HURTING ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

IS PURGATORY A CATHOLIC FRAUD? IS THERE EVEN ONE MENTION OF A purgatory in the Bible? Could it be that PURGATORY is a mere scheme to obtain money from poor souls who pay the Catholic church $$$ thinking they are getting some loved one out of a place that doesn’t even exist – purgatory? THE INVENTION OF PURGATORY is but one of the diabolic devices the aCtholic church holds over its people to deceive, delude and ultimately destroy them in eternal damnation.

Heaven and hell (as eternal destinations) appear approximately 600 times in God’s Word and purgatory appears no where – not even once in Holy Scripture.

$$$–Catholic “indulgences” are monies/revenues paid to the Catholic church to get people out of “purgatory” – a place that doesn’t even exist – THIS IS FRAUDULENT!!!

$$$–Purgatory is nothing less than a money-making scam of the Catholic church exploiting its own people$$$.

Does not purgatory exploit the precious Catholic people FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED TO COMPLETELY FORGIVE?

Is purgatory a money-making $$$ lie? – through the sale of Catholic “indulgences”??

The most blasphemous element about this fraud is that PURGATORY DENIES CHRIST’S REDEMPTION by saying His blood was not enough to pay for ALL sins.

Purgatory is simply another Catholic lie.

If God named “Heaven” 582 times and “hell” 54 times by name in His Word, He certainly would have named “purgatory” (by name) if such a place existed.

Purgatory IS a big deal because the Roman religion stands or falls on whether it is teaching God’s holy Word which is final authority.

IF “THE BLOOD OF JESUS CLEANSES US FROM ALL SINS” (1 John 1:7), WHY WOULD GOD INSTITUTE A SO-CALLED PLACE OF “PURIFICATION” NAMED PURGATORY? HE SIMPLY DIDN’T. “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from ALL sin” (1 John 1:7).

Only the blood of Jesus applied by the grace of God and faith can save from eternal damnation.

Jesus says that justification is instantaneous (John 6:47).

IS PURGATORY A MONEY-MAKING SCHEME?

PURGE-atory is a lie because it purports that once a “good Catholic” dies, he is then PURGED in an intermediate state. Purgatory is blasphemy against the finished work of Jesus Christ who stated on the cross that “It IS finished” (John 19:30). The teaching of purgatory is just one more way the roman church denies the total sufficiency of the cross of Jesus Christ our LORD causing millions to be deluded and lost and without true love and peace that only God can give as a person comes to Him the way He prescribed – in His Word – Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father.

CHRIST’S BLOOD IS GOD’S MERCY.

Jesus is the only Hope God gave us for forgiveness of sins. Jesus stated, “The Son of man hath power ON EARTH (not in purgatory) to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6).

PURGATORY EXISTS NOWHERE IN HOLY SCRIPTURE IN WORD NOR CONCEPT.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS A WASTELAND OF IDOLS.

WHERE ARE SINS FORGIVEN? ON EARTH OR “PURGATORY”??? Jesus stated, “The Son of man hath power ON EARTH to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6).

WHO ARE SINS FORGIVEN BY???? Jesus stated, “The Son of man hath power ON EARTH to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6).

1 John 1:7 “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sins.” No need for a so-called “purgatory” OR CATHOLIC PRIEST.

THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES US THAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR ALL OUR SINS WAS POURED OUT UPON CHRIST ON THE CROSS – ONE TIME, 2,000 YEARS AGO – THEY ARE DEALT WITH COMPLETELY FOR THOSE WHO ARE BORN AGAIN.

DID GOD DO A COMPLETE AND “FINISHED” WORK THROUGH CHRIST? ARE YOU CALLING HIM A LIAR? JESUS SAID, WHILE DYING ON THE CROSS FOR US “IT IS FINISHED (COMPLETE)” (John 19:30).

DID CHRIST FAIL IN HIS MISSION? DO WE NOW NEED SOME COSTUME-WEARING PRIESTHOOD OF SODOMITES TO HELP GOD OUT AND TELL US WHAT TO DO? ABSURD!

ARE YOU CALLING THE SON OF GOD A LIAR?

“It IS finished” simply means that the total and complete price for the sins of the whole world were paid for “one time” on the cross by Christ alone (John 19:30; Heb. 10:12-14).

ONLY JESUS CAN CLEANSE: “Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8).

ONLY JESUS CAN WASH AWAY SINS, NOT PURGATORY. JESUS TOLD PETER: “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8).

OFFICIAL CATHOLIC TEACHING/DOGMA:

The following statements can be verified by consulting volumes 1 and 2 of the book, Vatican Council II printed by Costello Publishing Co., Northport, New York. Austin Flannery, O. P., is the general editor and each volume contains the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur. The editions are: 1984 (Vol. 1) and 1982 (Vol. 2).

This most recent Roman Catholic Council, which closed on December 8, 1965, is the current official stand of Roman Catholicism. The following quotes are that official stand. (Bold print has been used for emphasis. Furthermore, brackets have been used to increase clarity.)

(10) “We believe that the souls of all those who die in the grace of Christ — whether they must still make expiation in the fire of Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bodies they are received by Jesus into Paradise like the good thief — go to form that People of God ….” (Vol. 2, p. 394)
(12) “The doctrine of purgatory clearly demonstrates that even when the guilt of sin has been taken away, punishment for it or the consequences of it may remain to be expiated or cleansed.” (Vol. 1, p. 64)
(d) “If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema.” (ibid., p. 46 — Sixth Session, Chapter XVI, Canon 30)

1 Corinthians 3 is where Paul is simply using this imagery to show that the works true believers did while on earth that were not truly out of the right heart motive, would not be rewarded.

Have you ever been told in a Catholic church that you could not go to Heaven unless you are “born again”? The Son of God said “Ye MUST be born again” (John 3:7). You can’t go to Heaven without being “born again” – the Bible way.

Purgatory simply is not found in the Bible and actually blatantly contradicts Bible doctrine.

If you are a Catholic defender, please quote the verses verbatim and tell everyone here how many times the word “purgatory” appears in the Bible.

Purgatory is a mere proofless myth – invented to steal money from the Catholic people.

Purgatory is a fool’s hope – eternal hell awaits all who die without being born again (the Bible way).

The Bible never mentions purgatory … it’s a myth and wasn’t invented till the 12th century in order to scam money from the Catholic people by selling indulgences.

Hell is the eternal and unending judgment of the holy God of Heaven and earth upon all those who do not repent, falling upon His mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ – BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE EARTH.

We are only made holy by God through Jesus’ blood – THIS IS THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST – not some mythical and unbiblical place called “purgatory.”

THOSE WHO DISREGARD THE BLOOD OF CHRIST MUST SUFFER ETERNAL PUNISHMENT IN HELL: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29).

THE WORD OF GOD IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY NOT THE ROMAN CHURCH – who are you going to trust? God or the Catholic church?

What is there to understand other than the Catholic teaching of purgatory is a blatant denial of the sufficiency of Christ’s blood which was shed to pay for ALL sins one time on the cross (John 19:30; Heb. 10:12, etc.). While dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus said “It IS finished” which simply means that all the sins of mankind were paid for in full by His blood and there was therefore no need ever for any other sacrifice for sin – including the vile and vain idea that man could ever pay for his own sin debt in a place that doesn’t even exist (“purgatory”).

PURGATORY IS JUST ONE OF MANY exploitational devices of the Catholic church. Purgatory exploits the Catholic people, leading them to destitution and despair and ultimately damnation. These poor souls, most of which are in dire straits financially, to afford a funeral are then asked to give $$$money$$$ to the Roman church (which is already the richest organization in the world). How can this be!

JESUS also said “Sanctify them through thy Word, the Word is truth” (John 17:17).

If Jesus’ blood totally cleanses of all sins those who believe upon Him, what need would God have for a purgatory? HE simply never mentioned such a place – it is a Catholic myth – A LIE FROM HELL.

What is your faith built on? God’s Word/truth or religious myth? Your eternity is in the balance – better check it out;)

WILL YOU TRUST THE CONFUSED & CHANGING TEACHINGS OF SINFUL MEN OR THE CLEAR AND UNCHANGING TRUTHS OF A LOVING AND HOLY GOD WHOSE WORD NEVER CHANGES?

JESUS WARNED US TO “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening (devouring) wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

Catholic Church Exposed | Making Peace with God | Born Again: What Does that Mean?

Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.

MAKING PEACE WITH GOD [podcast]

MAKING PEACE WITH GOD (Spanish version here) Are you ready to Pass from Death to Life? God desires to pardon you – before it’s too late. Jesus beckons you to “Come unto me” — while you can (Matthew 11:28-30). “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 GOD sees all sin and will either […]

“It is Finished”!

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30　 What Exactly was “Finished” at the Cross? WHAT Did Jesus Fulfill? What Did Jesus Finish? What did the Son of God Accomplish by Dying for Our Sins on that Cross? Much Divine Truth is Locked Up in This On the cross Jesus declared “It is finished” but what is it that was “finished”? (John 19:30) Let’s peer a bit into this ultimate truth… “It is finished” in John 19:30: “Finished” Strong’s Concordance teleó: to bring to an end, complete, fulfill Original Word: τελέω […]

The Exceeding Riches of His Grace

Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages Ephesians 2:7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:4-8 Here are […]

Paul Washer Exposed: Pope Connection Exposed! [video]

IF we want to see who the antichrists are among us, just look at the frauds who get their picture with the pope. By doing so they told you with shameless impunity that they are antichrists. Should we be quoting this guy? NO. …. Watch the demons manifest when one of the puppet idols of Satan is exposed. Those who’ve put their trust in these false prophets garnered to themselves demons which manifest when these dark agents of hell are exposed. … We already know that Paul Washer is a Calvinist which alone makes him a diabolical heretic. WANT to […]

LOUIE GIGLIO KISSES POPE: Louie Giglio Exposed as False Prophet [video]

LOUIE GIGLIO KISSES POPE: Louie Giglio Exposed as False Prophet ANY man colluding with, not rebuking the seat of antichrist – the pope – is 100% an antichrist himself. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6 Any person testifying to or bidding Godspeed to, or paying homage to some sinner called the “Pope” sitting on a man-made throne in Rome, is an antichrist child of the devil with no exception. WHO died on the […]

Abiding

“Lord, Teach us to Pray” [podcast]

“Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

Prayer is simply communing with God.

“One of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1

“Lord, teach us to pray.” Christ’s disciples today should ask the LORD to “teach us to pray.” The disciples called on Jesus to teach them to pray—to have a prayer life, to live a life of prayer, to commune with Him and the Father perpetually. Christ answered them and us by giving the whole Church a model prayer to be followed in spontaneous and joyful relationship. Here it is:

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a

certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples

said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also

taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them,

When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in

heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom

come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3

Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive

us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is

indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.” Luke 11:1-4

When addressing the remove of the words “Our” and “which art in heaven” by the fake, the corrupted “bibles,” one writes asks:

“Is your Bible geared to glorify antichrist? Is your Bible going to be used by antichrist to convince you he is Jesus?” unknown

Jesus is coming—ready or not.

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Prayer is to spiritual life what breathing is to the natural life. If you stop breathing, you die. If we don’t “pray without ceasing” we will not be in the will of God, will not be obeying God, and will fall into temptation, into sin.

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

You cannot and will not overcome sin and Satan, the world, and the flesh, without living a life of prayer.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask You

to teach me to pray. Here and now, I lay my life into Your holy

hands afresh. You must increase, and I must decrease. In the

name of Jesus, please bless this life to be dead and buried and

raised up by You, LORD. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When God Says to STOP PRAYING! [podcast]

Reconciling with God and other Saints “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law (the Word), even his prayer shall be abomination.” Proverbs 28:9 Those who do not love God enough to seek Him in the Word, to learn, and to obey Him, will not be heard by Him. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 In general, because God is “Holy, holy, holy,” when there is sin, God will not answer prayers – until the sinner repents and reconciles with the LORD and any person […]

The Prayer Life of Jesus [podcast]

Prayer is communion, communing with God. Those who earnestly seek God in prayer, who earnestly seek to know Him and to fulfill His will for their temporary lives in this world…. will glorify Him here and to be with Him eternally. What do we learn from the prayer life of our LORD Jesus? “Luke 5:16 PRAYERS OF JESUS. Luke stresses more than the other gospels the place of prayer in the life and work of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at the Jordan, He was ‘praying’ (3:21), at times He withdrew from the multitudes ‘and prayed (5:16); […]

WHAT'S On Jesus' Prayer List? [podcast]

What Did Jesus Pray for His People? John 17 – knowing Him. Being one with Him and the Father and one another. Jesus prayed the highest priorities of the Father for His people as is recorded in John 17. Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer – John 17 “Jesus’ prayer in John 17, often called the “High Priestly Prayer,” is a profound discourse to God before His crucifixion, focusing on His own glorification, the protection and unity of His disciples, and the future unity of all believers, emphasizing eternal life through knowing God and Christ, and asking for believers to be set […]

Fake Jesus, Fake Pastors, Fake Christians, Fake Bibles, Fake Churches Exposed! [podcast]

TODAY’s apostate preachers created a counterfeit generation of false converts, entitled, self-serving counterfeits. There is no fruit proving they are truly born again. Their “christianity” consists of “church” attendance at a cross-less fake church that uses a fake “bible”, preaches a fake “Jesus”, and has a fake “pastor.” Beware. This was specifically foretold (2 Timothy 3:1-13; 4:1-5). The true disciple of Jesus will listen only to men who fear God and not you/them (2 Samuel 23:3; Matthew 10:28; Galatians 1:10) – and therefore they forcefully declare the whole of His truth straight up into your face! Repent or perish, sinner! […]

4 Verse KJV Comparison [podcast]

Reading a fake “bible” is like still watching CNN. Let that sink in. Fake news. See if you have a real Bible. I love the King James Bible. See if the BLOOD of Jesus has been removed from Colossians 1:14 in your “bible”. Also, see if Matthew 17:21 and Acts 8:37 are removed and if Romans 8:1 has been chopped in half. IF YOU show your pastor this and he STILL refuses to ditch his satanically corrupted, Christ-attacking new version to begin using the King James Bible, RUN! 4 SILENCING VERSES – Here are the 4 verses I compare with people. […]